metadata

noun

meta·da·ta ˌme-tə-ˈdā-tə

-ˈda-,

also -ˈdä-

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: data that provides information about other data

Did you know?

How Metadata Was Formed

It's easy to find data on the source of "metadata": the word was formed by combining "data" with "meta-," which means "transcending" and is often used to describe a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one. "Meta-" was first used in that way in "metaphysics" and has been extended to a number of other disciplines, giving us such words as "metapsychology" and "metamathematics." "Metadata" takes the "transcending" aspect a step further, applying it to the concept of pure information instead of a discipline. "Metadata" is a fairly new word (it appeared in the latter half of the 20th century), whereas "data" can be traced back to the middle of the 17th century.

Examples of metadata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But, drawing on their metadata, which includes the time they were filmed, the videos reveal an inconsistency with the IDF’s own account of when its troops started shooting. —

Katie Polglase, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024 Both the visual label and the metadata would contain information like whether the image is AI-generated or edited with AI tools. —

Kevin Collier, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Sky News analyzed the image file's metadata, claiming to uncover proof that Photoshop was used on the image. —

Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Some of the submissions use artificial intelligence, while others rely on metadata or watermarking. —

Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024 Please remember that a platform that offers effective defense for your communications and metadata might not be the best fit for entertainment purposes or may prove cumbersome for daily activities. —

David Balaban, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Many of the documents contain metadata showing they were written by members of a team working for Ilya Gambashidze, head of the Moscow PR firm Social Design Agency. —

Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024 That might sound plausible in 2024, but the ruling was issued in 2013, months before Edward Snowden revealed the existence of government programs collecting massive amounts of metadata on US citizens. —

Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024 Without detailed metadata, a video archive is like a library without a card catalog. —

Dave Friend, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metadata.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.